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I’m happy to see Gaelic on the RCPsych in Scotland webpage. 

How the idea took shape

Our College in Scotland celebrated its 30th anniversary through the competition to design a tartan, an idea which emerged from conversations about College values and the distinct character of the College in Scotland. This gave me the confidence to approach the College in Scotland with my idea to include Gaelic on our webpage. It feels natural to me to include Gaelic (and hopefully in future Scots) on our Scottish College pages, recognising the equal value of our three Scottish languages, much as our Welsh colleagues use Welsh and English on their pages. I believe that embracing our Scottish languages helps to reflect the culture and heritage of Scotland.

I’ve been described as someone who has a strong sense of fairness who speaks up for others. I think this is useful for a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist as children may not have their voices heard by the adults making decisions about them. In a way I am also speaking up for Gaelic and Scots which have been subject to hostile or neglectful treatment over centuries. It was less than a century ago that children were beaten for speaking their first language, Gaelic, in school. Children are still told off for using Scots words; told that they are using “slang” and not talking properly. But I think all of these voices are valid and deserve to be heard. 

My Journey with Gaelic

I started learning Gaelic seven years ago when I put my daughter into Gaelic medium education. Gaelic was challenging for me with its unfamiliar sentence structures and spelling. However, I have now reached a point where I can converse and enjoy communicating in Gaelic. I feel more connected to the land and the landscape where names often have Gaelic origins. I learned that I had Gaelic speaking ancestors and I have been fascinated to think about their lives and experiences in the Isle of Skye and then in Tasmania in the 19th century. Gaelic has enriched my life.

I read the book Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages many years ago and realised for the first time what language death means. It is not just a loss of words but a loss of culture, history, and identity which together provide a unique lens through which to understand the world. I think it is important to treasure and use the range of lenses available to us. They give us a broader and more flexible way to understand the complexities of the world around us, including the lives of our patients. 

The Nuances of Language

Those of you who speak more than one language will know that there are things which don’t translate directly, or that there are nuances not captured by the translation. I was fascinated to find that there is no verb “to have” in Gaelic. Instead, something is “at you” or “with you”. I wonder if this use of language might give people a different sense of what it is to have something – perhaps it is easier to hold things lightly, to be more flexible, adaptive and accepting. Important skills in times of change and uncertainty.

An Invitation to Connect

So, I hope you will join me in welcoming Gaelic onto the webpage. I’d be delighted to hear from any other psychiatrists who speak Gaelic or are learning Gaelic. Although the translation I and another Gaelic-learning psychiatrist made for the webpage was read over by a professional translator (thank you!), I take responsibility for any errors – just let me know!